[Python-Dev] standard libraries don't behave like standard 'libraries'

[Steven D'Aprano]

On Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:36:10 pm Anand Balachandran Pillai wrote:

> It could be something as simple as a "require" keyword which could
>  pull in the depdencies if not found. Perhaps at the top of your
> module,
>
>  require (stuff, '1.27')
>  import stuff

So Python, the *language*, has to become a package management system as 
well as a programming language?

No thank you.

At most, perhaps there could be a package management tool in the 
standard library:

try:
  import stuff
except ImportError:
  import packman
  found = packman.requires(stuff, '1.27')
  if found:
    import stuff
  else:
    fail()



> Anyone who takes a quick look at the Python std library now is
>  sure to feel that there is an overkill of stuff there, which could
> be classified and packaged better than dumping into the language
> build.

I don't.

I think the std library could possibly be organised better, but just 
because something isn't useful to me right now, doesn't mean it isn't 
useful to someone, and may be useful to me tomorrow.



-- 
Steven D'Aprano